truck information

i was wondering if anybody could give me some advice on new trucks. such as what is the best pumper out there. the committee that i am on is looking at a truck with a caf system and a 1000 gal tank. any information or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Look out Myrtle its pick the best time again. Seriously I think that if you search around the different forum sections here you will find more than you are looking for. What's best is what is best for you and what fits the budget.

i was wondering if anybody could give me some advice on new trucks. such as what is the best pumper out there. the committee that i am on is looking at a truck with a caf system and a 1000 gal tank. any information or tips would be greatly appreciated.

No one can tell you the best pumper, if it's a custom truck it's going to be different. My advice is this. Look at your current truck, look at your area, and look what your going to need it to do for you. Look at the compartment space you have now, and what you need to put in it, look at how much hose you have, or what you want to do with it....there are SO many options. CAFS is great, but it's not an end all solution, it does have limitations. 1000 gallons is a lot of water, will you be able to fit into some of your most rural diveways, that are sized for a Mini?

Pick a few different builders, and see what they can offer. Pierce, KME, Seagrave, I'd start with those three and see what they can offer you. Most builders will build you just about anything you want.

Honestly, don't even look at brands yet. Ask around, find the local dealer(s) with the best and strongest reputation for service, satisfaction, etc. - in other words the ones that take care of their customers. If you can live with the brand they sell, then perhaps that's the brand you should buy.

The best pumper in the world ain't squat with a lousy dealerhsip that won't fix a simple issue that puts the rig out of service for a week, just because they don't have time for you, etc.

As A Firefighter Who Has Sat On Numerous Truck Committees The Best Advice I Can Give You Is Contact The Factories To Find Out Who Your Reps Are And Start Talking To Them. These Folks Can Be Very Helpful. They Can Also Arrange Factory Visits To Look At The Trucks Online (huge Advantage). This Will Allow Your People To See How Other Depts Are Doing The Same Things. It Will Also Allow You To Maybe See Some Of The Advantages Or Disadvantages Their Particular Truck Has.
On Another Note Their Are Folks Out There That Will Help You Write A Set Of Specs As A Consultant. They Are Not Affiliated With Any Truck Company And Most Charge A Small Fee For The Service. These People Are Experts In The Operating Systems And Nfpa Guidlines You Will Encounter. A Small Dept That Neighbors Us Had The Factories Fill In The Blanks For Their Needs. They Then Payed A Consultant To Look Over The Specs And Proof Read Them. He Came Back With A List Of Recommendations For Changes. They Met With The Factory Sales Rep And Discussed The Changes. The Revised Spec Sheet Was Then Put Out For Bid. This Is One Way Of Letting The Companies Who Want Your Business Earn Their Money. They Do This Every Day.
On A Personal Note I Have Had Great Service And Support From Pierce And Sutphen. The Trucks Have Been Reliable And Their Service And Support At The Factory Has Been Great. We Run The Snot Out Of Trucks And Really Put Them Through Their Paces. These Two Are The Only Two I Have Had This Kind Of Service Performance From. E-one Is Building Us A Truck Right Now So Maybe They Will Impress Me As Much As Pierce And Sutphen. Time Will Tell.

Advice

Just start looking around. You don't have to jump in bed with a dealership yet. Go to FDIC, Harrisburg, state conventions, parades, drills and visit neighboring companies and talk with them about what they like about the features and what they don't. Take a digital camera and take pictures of the various things you like about a certain engine you see. Then things will start to come together. Dealership service is also very, very important. At least for the first year.

advice

My department recently purchased a piece of apperatus, the decision had already been made on the manufacture well before I was put on the commitee we have struggled for over a year to work out the problems and are still curently holding our old apperatus as ransome until all the problems are worked out. It all comes down to service the manufacturer could be building cadilacs but with out a good service department and a good sales men your done. Talk to some of your local departments and see what problems their having if any. The truck does you no good if it doesn't work or you can't get it fixed in a timly manner.

as far as the spec make a list of thing you would like to see it do. drafting, pump size, lighting, how many people it needs to carry, how much hose and what size, any special discarges or intakes.

go to the trade shows and take pictures of thing you like and don't like the more info you can give the sales men the better chance you getting what you need.

be carefull on the final spec they have a habit of changing things look it over good and give your self plenty of time these thing should not be rushed

CAFS, etc.

.....and Hale, and Waterous. Why don't we realize there are competitive companies out there who all have something to offer? This person was looking for guidance....lets give them what they are looking for, not a narrow minded opinion endorsing a particular manufacturer. If this person was asking for input about a specific brand, then let them have it! Otherwise, recommending one manufacturer does nothing to serve the person seeking the information.

And to all who are looking for this type of input....seek it out on the internet or at trade shows. All you seem to get on these forums are personal preference commercials........